Busy Work

(Inspired by another day of walking around the stone paths around a place where I once lived, a long time ago.)

Busy work creates busy bees,

            worker bees,

            docile bodies,

            compliant,

            controllable,

            disciplined.

What happens when you stop working?

Can you stop doing the work?

What are the stakes in not doing the work?

Stones that speak from the past whisper up memories of a right wing group of the past,

            of a fascist who comes to campus to speak,

            of a crowd of "Communist" students who shout him down,

            and ultimately of the woman -- the unknown woman -- who throws a bucket of blood

            all over the fascist's three-piece suit.

            That shuts him down fast.

            Students march up and down the street.

            It's a victory for the "Communists" --

            of the pyrrhic sort.

             

Thirty years later, a leftist is tagged

            by right wing groups

            who try to derail a worker's efforts

            to land a reasonable job.

             

Busy work keeps the gears turning,

            and it stops minds from thinking too hard.

            More assignments,

            more reading,

            more writing,

            pile it, pile it, pile it on.